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the Philadelphia Manna February 2014
P H I L A D E L P H I A
readThePhillyManna.org
Logos presents
A Grounds For Faith 2 Part Event on Suicide Prevention
Concert
Featuring Silversyde February 16, 2014 at 7pm Widener University - Latham Hall
Coffee House
February 19, 2014 at 6pm University Center Quiet Lounge pastormike@mail.widener.edu
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the Philadelphia Manna | February 2014
Columns 07 | Signals 26 | Unfiltered
Features 08 | Understanding Work It’s in the Bible.
10 | Heigh-Ho! We all need work.
14 | The Working Life
Stay in Touch
Don’t give up so soon.
16 | Another Layer of Abortion The effects linger, and linger.
18 | Whistle While You Work It’s not work if you’re in love.
20 | Kingdom Work Whatever you do, do it for the Lord.
13 | Stuff Happens Maintaining your faith takes work.
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the Philadelphia Manna | A Publication of Maranatha, Inc. Editor-In-Chief: Debbie Byrd Creative Director: Joe Willey Editorial Coordinator: Karen Punches Contributing Writers: Jeff Friend, Diana Karpavage, Robert McClure, Josh Millwood, Karen Punches, Brittney Switala & Fran Tatum Philadelphia Publisher: Chuck Kieffer
Frequently Asked Questions Who We Are The Manna is published by Maranatha, Inc., a Christcentered ministry called to proclaim the Good News of faith and life in Jesus Christ through various forms of media, as God directs, until He returns. “Maranatha” (mer-a-nath´-a) is an Aramaic word found in I Corinthians 16:22. It is translated, “Our Lord, come!” Joy! 102.5 WOLC is also part of Maranatha, Inc. Its call letters stand for “Watch, Our Lord Cometh.” Maranatha!
Disclaimer Non-ministry advertisers are not required to subscribe to the “Statement of Faith” printed at right; nor are their businesses and products necessarily endorsed by the Manna, Joy! 102.5 WOLC, or Maranatha, Inc., whose viewpoints are not necessarily represented by the opinions or statements of persons interviewed in this magazine; nor are the viewpoints of its advertisers.
Statement of Faith We Believe… that the Holy Bible is the inspired, infallible and authoritative source of Christian doctrine and precept; that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; that the only hope for man is to believe in Jesus Christ, the virgin-born Son of God, who died to take upon Himself the punishment for the sin of mankind, and who rose from the dead so that by receiving Him as Savior and Lord, man is redeemed by His blood; that Jesus Christ in person will return to Earth in power and glory; that the Holy Spirit indwells those who have received Christ, for the purpose of enabling them to live righteous and godly lives; and that the Church is the Body of Christ and is comprised of all those who, through belief in Christ, have been spiritually regenerated by the indwelling Holy Spirit. The twin mission of the Church is worldwide evangelization, and nurture and discipline of Christians.
the Philadelphia Manna 3402 Edgemont Avenue, Suite 366 | Brookhaven, PA 19015 Manna e-mail: ckieffer@readthephillymanna.org
©2014 Maranatha, Inc. May not be reproduced without written consent of Maranatha, Inc. Photos: iStockphoto and Thinkstock
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On the Air From Darkness to Light The band Silversyde is back in the area bringing their loud rock music and message of hope to Gothic Latham Hall on the campus of Widener University on February 16th at 7:00pm. The concert is part of “Grounds for Faith,” an annual program that elevates discussion about important topics that impact students and young people. It’s a place where questions are answered and answers and questioned. The event is sponsored by the student organization LOGOS, The Widener University Interfaith Center and the Foundry Church of Wallingford. The theme for Grounds for Faith for the spring term is Suicide Prevention. It comes on the one-year anniversary of the death of a Widener student from suicide. The program will feature stories and music from local college and high school students who will share their pain, grief and solutions found in Christ. Grounds for Faith is a free event and open to the general public, churches, youth groups and clubs. So, who are Silversyde? They are a female-fronted hard rock band with music that is passionate, hopeful, deliberate and written specifically for the broken. Their lyrics tell the story of release from spiritual havoc, physical pain and mental anguish. The band’s story is not unlike many young people who have been plagued spiritually through addiction to harmful behaviors including drugs, alcohol, sexual immorality, pornography and an incessant desire to find acceptance. But for what the world couldn’t beat down, God lifted up. The band has a serious message to this generation—that God is not dead but alive. That hope is available to all who call upon the name of Jesus.
Silversyde have played with the bands Project 86, EleventySeven, Everyday Sunday, Biohazard, Pop Evil, Phil Joel, Julian Drive, Isaiah Six, Among The Thirsty, Double Edge and Paul Coleman. Their 2014 tour will take them before a wider audience with shows coming up with Seventh Day Slumber and Disciple with more show information to be announced in the near future. The band is currently on tour promoting their new album. We’re not alone! The light that we have inside should be casting shadows, lighting up the darkest night! “Casting Shadows” by Silversyde We invite you to bring friends to experience the message of hope in Christ. Come cast the shadow of light into your own world. Chuck Kieffer is a Pastor, Publisher, Anti Hunger Activist and Host of Big House Radio, heard Wednesday afternoon on www.wybf.com from 3-5pm. He and his wife Joy operate The Giving Garden Food Pantry and Urban Garden in Wallingford, Pennsylvania.
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Go Out
Philadelphia
Philadelphia Flower Show 3/1-3/9 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania www.theflowershow.com Experience the combination of art and horticulture as the 185th PHS Philadelphia Flower Show celebrates everyone from Michelangelo to Monet, Picasso to Pollock, and da Vinci to Dali.
Pastor’s Appreciation Breakfast 4/24 | Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania www.eventbrite.com Join WFIL AM 560 for their annual Pastors Appreciation Breakfast. The keynote speaker is Dr. Michael Youssef of Leading The Way.
Daniel’s Den Cafe Starts in February | Pipersville, Pennsylvania www.danielsdencafe.org Daniel’s Den continues their 8th Season. Free Admission; Homemade Desserts. Accepting donations to Lord’s Pantry.
The Irish Rovers 3/11 | Glenside, Pennsylvania www.keswicktheatre.com “Throughout the years, these international ambassadors of Irish music have maintained their timeless ability to deliver a rollicking, rousing performance of good cheer – one that will soon have you singing and clapping along. Their songs have become anthems of revelry and joy among generation after generation of fans.”–Belfast Telegraph
The Diary of Anne Frank 1/29-2/17 | Media, Pennsylvania www.mediatheatre.org In this Tony winning play (an updated adaptation from 1997) The Frank Family hides from the Nazis in war-torn Amsterdam. In a warehouse attic for two years, they are joined by four other people while Anne Frank records the account in her diary.
A New Face of Hunger 3/7 | Widener University, Chester, Pennsylvania www.extension.psu.edu/delaware The 6th Annual Delaware County Conference on Hunger: Join concerned members in our community for a day of learning, networking and exploration of issues related to hunger.
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ork is an interesting feature of our society. We define ourselves by it, spend much of our lives either preparing for it or doing it, and often greatly miss it when we are not employed. At the same time, though, many of us work for no other reason than a paycheck; we may feel apathetic about what we do or sometimes strongly dislike it. What is it about work that causes such a mixed reaction in our lives and, perhaps more importantly, what should be our attitude toward work? The Bible has much to say on the topic. Before the fall, Adam and Eve are tasked with caring for the Garden of Eden. Work was, therefore, to some extent, a part of God’s original design for humanity. Like everything else in creation, though, sin twisted work into a burdensome, though necessary, task (Genesis 3:17-19).
Proverbs frequently discourages laziness and encourages working hard. Proverbs 6:6-11 uses an ant as an illustration of how we should work. Solomon points out that there is no one telling the ant to gather up food, yet it does when food is available in preparation for when there is none. A lazy person, however, when someone is trying to stir them, constantly asks to sleep a little while longer, puts off what needs to be done, and ultimately will have long term consequences for his inaction. The New Testament echoes the same sentiments. Paul deals with people who are using a theological excuse to free load off the Church in 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13. He exhorts people not to keep fellowship with such people, and encourages those who are being idle not to be “busybodies” but rather to “work quietly and earn their own living”, using the principle “if anyone is not willing to work, let
Understanding Work By Robert McClure
him not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10, ESV). This is not to say that someone who is unable to work should not be provided for. Paul says, in 1 Timothy 5:8, that anyone who refuses to provide for his family has “denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (ESV). Clearly, Paul expects Christians to work to provide for their families to the extent possible. However, work will not forever remain a cursed thing. When Christ returns, He will complete the redemption of all things, including work. There will be a new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21:1), which will be a return to the intended design of the world. Work was part of our role as humans before the fall, so it is not likely that it will be abolished entirely. It is far more likely that the burdensomeness of work will be removed, though we will have things we will be doing in that new heaven and new earth.
While the details may not be entirely clear, what is clear is that God’s plan for the redemption of work is sufficient to make it entirely a blessing, both because the nature of the work and our changing attitudes toward work. What we can take from all this, then, is that work is a good thing that God intended. God will ultimately restore work to its originally intended place in our lives. In the meantime, we are encouraged to work to provide for our families and to glorify God, so that there is a long term meaning to what we do. While we may not always like everything we have to do in work, this can give us a focus and purpose to carry us through it, knowing that, one day, all things will be made perfect again.
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Heigh-Ho! By Jeff Friend
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have one simple question: Just how much coffee did Snow White brew every morning for those dwarfs? I’m assuming she must have spent the better part of the early pre-dawn hours churning out the black liquid for her friends to gulp down. How else could you explain seven men joyfully whistling and singing, “Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it’s off to work we go” every single day as they headed for a mine to dig for diamonds? Even the grumpy one! Maybe you can’t relate to such unbounded happiness as you force yourself out of bed and prepare to face another day at ‘the job’. Perhaps merely thinking about doing the same work day after day causes you to reach for the antacids and the bottle of aspirin. Obviously those dwarfs never met your boss, or they would be singing a much different tune and they would be snarling instead of smiling. But maybe you think those dwarfs are just like you. “Hello, Mr. Sunshine, I can’t wait to get this day started!” Grab a piece of toast, kiss the family goodbye and hop into the car to race off to enjoy the many exciting hours awaiting at your job. Work. Who needs it? Well, actually, we all do. When God created Adam, He gave him a job as the gardener of Eden, and mankind has been working ever since. So if God thought a job was a good idea for his first man, perhaps we need to examine our attitudes towards ‘work’. The biggest problem in our outlook on work is that we tend to equate ‘what we do’ with ‘who we are’. We believe having a prestigious position makes us important and people will be impressed with our success. Likewise, we consider being a ‘common laborer’ as some type of failure or doing meaningless work. The perspective of our society is that some work is noble and worthy of honor while other labor is insignificant. Martin Luther King, Jr. believed that all work has value and said, “If a man is called to be a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven played music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well.” The Bible also declares the worthiness of work. In fact, the opening verses describe God Himself working – creating night and day, making planets, forming animals, and much more. He did so much work for six days that he even took a day to rest when He was done. He established
the basic concept that all Christians need to understand — whatever the task, do it with excellence and with joy because we are not laboring for man’s praise and reward, but for God’s. Mother Teresa explained, “There is always the danger that we may just do the work for the sake of the work. This is where the respect and the love and the devotion come in — that we do it to God, to Christ, and that’s why we try to do it as beautifully as possible.” Paul agreed that “whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24, NIV). As Christians, if we try to embrace society’s goals of working more hours in order to get more ‘things’, boost our self-esteem, or attempt to prove to everyone that we have value, then we are headed for burn-out, disappointment and an endless search for meaning in life. God has given us personal gifts — both spiritual and physical — and everything we do, whether it’s for pay or voluntary, is service for God’s kingdom. No act is too small or worthless. We are told of the vocations of many people in the Bible. Paul made tents while in Corinth, Peter was a lifelong fisherman, Moses and David both tended flocks, and Jesus was trained as a carpenter. Even though they all are known primarily for their great spiritual accomplishments, they each knew the value and necessity of having a skill, trade or knowledge that was practical and provided the fulfillment of doing good, honest physical work. Our culture emphasizes that work is for personal gain. Work harder, put in more hours, do whatever it takes to advance, and make as much money as you can regardless of the negative impact on your health, family and relationship with God. After all, you deserve it, right? But if that is really the way we are supposed to find peace and happiness in our lives, then why are so many of us miserable, worn-out, unfulfilled and feeling like failures at life? The answer is simple. If we constantly focus on ourselves and what we want, any kind of work will always be an empty pursuit. But if we seek to please God and do everything as if we were doing it for Him, then we will be blessed with contentment and joy. As Ecclesiastes 3:13 says, “That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil – this is the gift of God” (NIV). Maybe those dwarfs had the right idea. So all together now: Heigh-ho, heigh-ho!
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Stuff Happens By Fran Tatum
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t is a scientific law, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand it. All things will eventually and inevitably become disorganized and fall into disarray when they are left to themselves. Physicists call it the Second Law of Thermodynamics. It is also known as entropy. For me it’s pretty simple. There are areas in my home that need constant maintenance. Objects can suddenly and inconveniently come unglued, the furniture consistently gathers dust just sitting there, and over the years the paint becomes dingy by simply resting on the walls. However, not one item has ever glued itself back together, not one piece of furniture has ever cleared out its own cobwebs, nor has one wall ever painted itself. Like the items in our homes, things in our lives will sometimes break down or wear out and need repair. On occasion those things will be major and will break down at the most unexpected and inconvenient times. Take it from someone who has had experience from stuff breaking down in her life. The pieces don’t magically pull themselves back together. It takes effort to reach down and pick up the shattered fragments. It takes determination not to give up when your first attempts to reassemble them in usable form fail. Most of all it takes faith. Faith not only means believing what cannot be seen, sometimes faith means daring to do what seems impossible. Giving up is not an option. We have to work at life to maintain it. We have to work at it to make it work. Proverbs 24 describes a vineyard owned by a lazy man. The vineyard had not been properly tended and was grown over with thorns and weeds. The walls surrounding the vineyard were broken down as well. The man was described as lacking common sense and would certainly come to poverty and ruin (Proverbs 24:30-34). He had not worked it, so the vineyard was useless and had become an eyesore to others. There is another vineyard mentioned in Scripture. Jesus spoke of it in John 15. Christians will remember that Jesus said to his followers in John 15:5, “I am the vine, and you are the branches.” I like the idea of being a branch and resting in Christ Jesus, the Vine. I like the idea of the Holy Spirit flowing through me and so, hopefully, I am just naturally bearing fruit by being attached to the Vine. I could really get caught up in the whole notion of resting, but then those pesky weeds start growing! I have learned that God actually expects me to do something about those weeds and if I don’t, well, they
have a way of taking over my life! There are disciplines such as prayer, Bible reading, and worshiping with other believers that help with the area of “weed control”. In every area of our lives, there are disciplines, certain “house-keeping” matters that we would do well not to neglect. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:12-13, NLT). These verses in Philippians bring together the two vineyards in Scripture. It is a basic fact of life that we have to work at life for it to work, just like maintaining a home. Yet, even when we are diligent, sometimes the unthinkable happens and something vital breaks down and needs repairs\ or unwanted pests invade and have to be dealt with. It can sometimes be disheartening, but the beautiful truth for the Christian is that we are not alone in the effort. God is at work within the Christian, supplying the desire and the ability to do whatever needs doing. We can keep on working through extreme circumstances because Scripture tells us that God is actively working in us. The eleventh chapter of Hebrews is full of examples of men and women who did not give up in the face of extreme circumstances. They knew they had to work through each situation for life to work and they had faith that God was with them. Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, and many more are listed. Hebrews 11:34 states, “their weakness was turned to strength” (NLT). It’s good to know that the same God who turned water into wine can turn my weakness into strength if I will not give up! Stuff happens! Without warning, and at what appears to be at the worst possible moment, something extremely important may completely fall apart. When that happens, I might need to “catch my breath”, but I refuse to give up! I know that giving up will only allow further disarray to result. If order is to come, it will require effort on my part. I will have to be determined and I will need to have faith as I continue to work. After all, the Creator of the universe is within me. He never sleeps and doesn’t even get tired according to Psalm 121:4. He is giving me the desire and the power to do whatever needs doing! He can even turn my weakness into strength! With His help, I am going to work through this until it works! readthephillymanna.org | February 2014
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The Working Life By Brittney Switala
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mber visited her grandparents in Florida during spring break each school year. From her descriptions, it sounded like a magical, sunshine-filled place to classmates who were still wearing winter coats in April. Beaches and hammocks, Disney and old people—that’s what the Midwest kids learned about that seemingly continents-away location. Every one of them dreamed to one day grow up, shed responsibilities and spend endless hours lounging on the beach. Retirement couldn’t come soon enough to an eight-year-old learning multiplication tables. Bonnie loved teaching multiplication, or any subject for that matter. In fact, as a woman in her fifties, it broke her heart to discover her school district’s retirement incentives seemed to push her out the door. She took the package offered, had a big party and looked with uncertainty at the rest of her life. For some time she took a part-time position teaching GED classes to adults. However, when she realized her Social Security benefits were penalized by the work she was doing she chose to quit. She found it necessary for her to avoid work because she was too skilled to receive the low wages Social Security required. More than anything Bonnie wanted to continue helping people and use her skills for God’s glory. It seems for generations in our American culture, the assumption has been that older folks should desire and make a plan to leave the workplace. An extended season of relative prosperity and a move away from an agrarian society in America has made that retirement concept viable. Adults could count on their own savings accounts, a company pension, plus Social Security and knew they would be relatively secure for the remainder of their days. They could also plan on family members to live close by and help out when necessary or they could move to a warm climate for comfort. Changes in the financial landscape are causing Americans to rethink what their later years can and should look like. As believers in Christ, revisiting this issue from a Biblical viewpoint is also necessary. Many work for decades in hopes of 10-15 years of health to travel and relax. But the idea of older years being reserved for pleasure is not a Biblical concept. The one group of folks who actually retired from their regular jobs at an appointed age was the Levites. In Numbers 4, the Levite males were numbered for service in the tabernacle from ages 25-50 years old and, after age 50, they were to retire from regular service. They could continue to “assist their brothers” but could not continue to work (Numbers
8:24-26). There is no other mention of such a concept in the Bible. The idea of living simply for pleasure seems antithetical to a Christian worldview. Paul says that the widow who lives for pleasure is dead while she yet lives (1 Timothy 5:6). An assumption of healthy senior years to live for enjoyment and relaxation is certainly not a given. Katherine Dean, National Director of Wealth Planning for Wells Fargo Private Bank says, “I’ve seen people pay as much as $5,000-15,000 a month for their medical care in retirement. With statistics such as these, it appears that those who once looked at spending their senior years checking items off a bucket list will more likely be working from necessity.” Life expectancies continue to rise. In the early 1900s an American born male could assume to live to near age 50. As of 2014 the average American man’s life expectancy is 78.6 years. With the rise of life expectancy (and the looming insolvency of Social Security) the age of retirement continues to rise. Most adults currently not of retirement age talk sarcastically (and often bitterly) about Social Security. They realize they are having money removed from their paychecks to pay for benefits they will never see. Most companies have moved from a pension plan to a simple 401K retirement plan which requires employees to contribute their own money. We are seeing seniors now working longer, and this can be a good thing if we embrace them in the work environment. Companies are currently experiencing a brain drain. Many highly intelligent and eager employees are being let go because of situations similar to Bonnie’s shared earlier. Businesses are trying to cut costs and are hiring young employees who require lower salaries. Such choices can hurt both corporations and seniors. Let’s face it, a government that discourages work is broken. If people like Bonnie, who have great gifting, want to teach GED classes or tutor, they should be paid fairly and not concern themselves with losing Social Security benefits from a system they paid into. At the same time, some seniors feel ill equipped for the current job market and often face age discrimination. Part of the discrimination simply comes from the value Americans place on technology-focused desk jobs over any other type of vocation. Work output by those not as tech-savvy is different but there needs to be a greater effort to make the work environment more inclusive. Perhaps in a roundabout sort of way the need for seniors to work into their later years is a good thing for our society. And, perhaps, our society needs seniors to lend their wisdom and experience to society.
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ow many million women 20 to 40 years post-abortion are facing the prospect that their aborted babies would likely be birthing grandbabies for them by now, had they lived? It is a terrifying and sobering thought that exposes another layer of the grief/guilt response for post-abortive would-be-grandmothers. More grieving and repenting are required; why doesn’t it ever end? Her question: How can God continue to forgive the atrocity of
abortion? Can the vast consequences and the collateral damage regarding the next generation even be imagined? Some post-abortive women become grandmothers anyway, thanks to their born children who are now old enough to have, and do have, children of their own. Becoming a grandmother brings a strong real-
Another Layer of Abortion By Diana Karpavage
ization, similar to that of a post-abortive woman who later gives birth to a live baby. Many women have reactions at this juncture because, in receiving their beautiful babies alive, the reality of the previous pregnancy ending without a beautiful child is bitter indeed. Then, when grandchildren are born, the reality hits again: no children will ever be born to the aborted child, for that intended family line is now void and will never exist. When women are young and in distress over an unplanned pregnancy, looking into the future that far just isn’t possible. The crisis is now, the crisis is dealt with in a hurry in an emotional state of mind, the crisis is dealt with a void of objectivity, and the crisis is faced with little support in many cases and, sometimes, the crisis is dealt with by a forced abortion. Using abortion as a crisis resolution steeped in trauma and grief worsens the problem and creates a crisis for the rest of her life. This is told in Jeremiah 20:17 KJV: “Because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me.” The sorrow of an uncompleted pregnancy is endless were it not for Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. As life goes on for the aborted woman, she remembers the procedure, the event and her emotions on the anniversary date of the abortion, every year. She calculates how old the child would be now and wonders what life would have been like with that child. She dreams about whether
the baby was a boy or a girl. She tries to comfort herself, to some extent, by thinking that Jesus has her baby in His arms. She cries, grieves and asks for forgiveness again. She may struggle with post-abortion symptoms such as depression, panic, guilt, shame, low self-esteem and difficulty with relationships. She may question whether God has really forgiven her or if she is utterly doomed. Women are made by God to nurture, not destroy. The act of abortion is an assault on her very soul and creates a conflict that cuts her to the core and breaks her heart. Countless women find healing from the devastation of abortion. Completely processing the issues surrounding an abortion, combined with spiritual truth and grace, provides a way for healing, forgiveness and reconciliation. Because of the love and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ in bearing our sins on the Cross, and the post-abortion ministry He has given to believers, women are able to heal and live With every layer of the abortion problem revealing itself throughout a woman’s life, comes an opportunity to draw closer to Christ. While post-abortive women wait for that time when we pass on to eternity and our hurts and tears are removed and our hearts our completely and perfectly mended, Christ is present with us in the here and now. Through His Holy Spirit we are comforted and loved. Just as His Spirit comforts us, He cradles those babies in His arms.
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ove can make you do some pretty crazy things. Case-in-point: A husband whistling merrily as he deep-scrubs the bathroom. He quickly showers and gets dinner started before his wife comes home to a bouquet of daisies on the table and a fresh, clean smell throughout the house. “Happy Valentine’s Day” is written on the card. It’s not diamonds and roses, but he knows that she knows that he loves her more than anything in the world. The husband found joy in the task at hand because of who he was performing the task for. Did he enjoy scrubbing the bathroom floor? Of course not! That would be gross. He found fulfillment in the work because he knew the smile of relief and appreciation that was coming his way as soon as his wife got home. It’s no wonder that God established the marriage relationship as the ultimate analogy for His relationship with the Church. God so loved us (His bride) that He sent His only Son. And we so love God that…well, we do some pretty nuts-oh stuff from a worldly perspective.
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Why do seemingly normal people decide to sell all of their belongings, learn a difficult language and move to the most dangerous corners of the Earth? Do they enjoy being in mortal peril for proclaiming faith in Christ? Probably not. But many of those crazy missionaries are some of the most joyful people you will ever meet. They love the Lord. They love Him more than they care about their safety. They love His people more than they care about their comfort. And they have taken to heart a secret that radically changes their view of the world. The secret that fills missionaries with a shining light of fulfillment is available to everyone—no matter who you are or what you do—and it can be found in a letter written by the Apostle Paul to a church in the river town of Colossae. Chapter 3 of this letter begins: “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is
Whistle While You Work By Josh Millwood
your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory” (NLT). The Colossians were an interesting bunch. The Church there was what you would call a socially-diverse group. This Roman outpost in modern day Turkey had been hit like a sledgehammer with the Gospel and as a result, rich people, poor people, men, women, slaves and servants had all found equality in the eyes of the Lord. But just because God declared everyone equal in His eyes didn’t mean suddenly the cultural system changed. In fact, it introduced a level of anxiety and awkwardness. While a master and a slave could be brothers in Christ—they were still master and slave. They were asking some pretty hard questions about how to treat one another. So, of course, Paul called for an all-out war on the status quo, right? “Ready the troops! Let’s burn this sucker down! FOR FREEDOM!” Actually, no. He breathed peace into a tension-riddled hotbed of bubbling revolution by telling husbands and wives to honor one another and to be respectful towards their children. He encouraged slaves
not to revolt, but to serve their masters with renewed respect and compassion. Joy is found in Christ—not in society, civil rights or democracy. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters…” (Colossians 3:23, NIV). That’s the secret. It’s not what you do— it’s Who you do it for! Toilet-cleaners, CEOs, secretaries, cashiers, bankers, dog-walkers, social media gurus, nurses, doctors, office managers, editors and graphic designers alike can find brilliant joy in what they do if they do it for Jesus. Like in all instances, God is more concerned with our hearts than exterior problems. He’s been shouting it out to us—sometimes compassionately, other times with a bit more gusto—for millennia. This world is temporary. Fleeting. Like a breath or a flower that will soon wilt. When we place our love and attention on Christ, we move away from the temporary to the eternal, for which we were created and find purpose, fulfillment and joy.
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e’re not too far into 2014—what did you resolve to do? The arrival of a new calendar year often brings with it the desire for a fresh start. Perhaps last year didn’t hold a lot of the change you had hoped it would. In fact, this year may look completely the same as this time last year. Maybe you’re still at the same job and wish you weren’t. You’re thinking back on the résumés you submitted and the phone calls that never came in. Your dream job is still out there somewhere, you think, if you could just find a way out of your current situation. The ambitions we may have and the ensuing struggles with restlessness and discontentment are nothing new. We’ve all been there. We want to feel productive and purposeful in our daily lives. When you introduce yourself, you most likely give your name and state what you do for a living right on the heels of that. It’s a huge part of our
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identity, self-worth and stability. John Calvin once wrote that each person has “his own kind of living assigned to him by the Lord as a sort of sentry post so that he may not heedlessly wander about through life.” Christians can be prone to our own unique struggle of placing a higher value on ministerial vocations than those in the secular sphere. Perhaps it’s your dream to be a pastor, but right now your work as a mechanic is what’s putting food on the table for your family. You wonder how you’ll ever afford to pay for seminary classes or where you’ll find the time to study. But the fact that you are currently not working full-time in church ministry doesn’t nullify the significance of what you’re doing now. The Apostle Paul tells us in Scripture to “...make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsid-
Kingdom Work By Karen Punches
ers and so that you will not be dependent on anybody” (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 NIV). Paul does not denigrate trades, manual labor and secular employment—but he ascribes value to them. In fact, when we go about our jobs with diligence and integrity, we have the potential to influence unbelievers. Isn’t that ministry? Author Trevin Wax writes, “We lift up the superChristians who are involved in church ministry, whether as pastors or evangelists or missionaries. We act as if they are the ones who are truly fulfilling the Great Commission. Everyone else is ordinary and perhaps too devoted to temporal things.” “This dichotomy is unhealthy,” he continues. “When we forget all we do should be to the glory of God and for the good of our neighbor, we divide our activities into categories of ‘sacred’ and ‘secular.’ And Christians who adopt
this mentality come to realize that most of their time is spent in a world in which God is seen as irrelevant. So, for a couple of hours a week, the Christian enters the church and speaks the language of Christianity. But the rest of the week, the Christian engages the world on its own terms, adopting many of its values and ideas.” Choosing to separate the sacred from the secular can have destructive results. It actually diminishes our witness for Christ because the entire scope of our lives isn’t reflective of the gospel, but compartmentalized. Wax concludes: “Let’s recognize that Jesus is not merely Lord of our religious lives, our evangelistic efforts, and our ministries. He is the King we love and serve, even in our daily jobs.” What a comfort and encouragement to know that we can please God in our 9 to 5.
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Unfiltered
Think Out Loud
Love Songs: Nat King Cole
The Lost Symbol: Dan Brown Steeped in Brown’s usual approach to symbolism, many may be quick to scoff at the story itself solely because of its link to Masonry, but this book includes fascinating insight into the history of the architecture of our nation’s Capitol—as well as just a good story in a Raiders-of-the-Lost-Ark fashion. It would seem that Brown is less than sure about the narrow path that leads to God as described by Christ. One could conclude from his writing that he believes that all religions, all belief systems, lead to the Higher Power that Christians know as God. But then, it’s only a novel. The danger, perhaps, lies in reading it from an uneducated position and allowing its influence. It’s not naïve to know that some people are that easily influenced by stories and movies. But it may be naïve to think that it is an easy task to battle such perspectives without understanding the error; forewarned is forearmed. With a familiar cast of characters from The DaVinci Code which caused clamor among Christian readership a few years ago, The Lost Symbol is actually a story of hope, especially as it relates to God’s Word—and rates as a thriller read if nothing else. - Debbie Byrd Maranatha, Inc. | Home of the Manna
Valentine’s Day evokes various reactions in people. On one end of the spectrum are the sentimental individuals who enjoy huge, calligraphy-laden greeting cards, bombastic flower bouquets, and heart-shaped boxes of chocolate. At the opposite end are those who write the day off as a money-making scheme and declare with clenched teeth that Hallmark will not dictate to them when to show affection. (Perhaps these two groups could be labeled “Women” and “Men.”) And then there are people whose romantic struggles cause them to loathe the day, and they spend each February 14th in a major funk and wishing for a few minutes alone with Cupid in a long, dark alley. Regardless of what group you find yourself in, this soothing compilation of songs is sure to please. One of the most cherished vocalists of all time sings some of the finest lyrics ever written. The orchestrations, heavy with strings and piano, might literally make you inhale and exhale deeply with eyes closed—the music is that beautiful. It transports you back to a simpler, more innocent time—before e-mails, texts, The Bachelor, eHarmony, and the Kardashians—when romance meant a handwritten love letter or poem, holding hands, and stealing a kiss. Life can be crazy these days, but when Nat King Cole is singing “Stardust,” everything just seems a little more right with the world. - Karen Punches
to the feeling. Introspective it may be, but soft and serene it is not. An alternative country artist with a punk rock past, Escovedo jams out with heavy guitar and driving bass lines as he shifts between whispering and shouting his lyrics. It’s a gritty ride until the final track, “Fort Worth Blue,” a beautiful guitar instrumental that seems to speak a kind of solace following a hard look at love and all it’s complexities. - Karen Punches
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day: Judith Viorst Everyone has had a bad day, but Alexander had a truly horrible day in this Viorst classic. Told from the perspective of the messy, underachieving Alexander, this children’s book teaches that even when everything goes horribly wrong, eventually the day will end. Tomorrow is a new day. And even when it seems like our parents couldn’t care less, they still love us. For every child who ever got gum stuck in his hair, grabbed the wrong lunch before going to school, felt abandoned by your best friend and neglected by your parents, this tale sympathizes. And as Alexander laments after each misadventure, “I think I’ll move to Australia...” Ultimately, it isn’t escape Alexander needs, but a simple hug. This book is made for kids with a slightly warped sense of humor. If your child is very empathetic, this book is not for them. Like a Ben Stiller comedy, things go from bad to worse until the very end. - Josh Millwood
Street Songs of Love: Alejandro Escovedo When this singer-songwriter from Texas began preparing for his tenth studio album, he had just come through a difficult time of health struggles and, admittedly, only felt like writing “songs about nothing.” But through the process, the subject (or lack thereof) naturally evolved into something Escovedo says he’s always found mysterious—love. And so, throughout the record, Escovedo airs out his observations, questions, and confusion about love, and his addiction
The Screwtape Letters: C.S. Lewis We are not privy to the letters of devils of any sort and maybe that is the intriguing thing about C.S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters. The novel is a fictional account of a correspondence between two devils–one, named Screwtape, who is experienced in tempting humans; and the other, his nephew and newly-assigned tempter, Wormwood. What we peek into is as fascinating as it is chilling. The Screwtape Letters highlights petty irritations and self-important thoughts that we all live with daily and shows them to be just ridiculous pride on our parts that lead us away from serving God. Nothing, to the devils’ minds, seems to be as effective as the mundane parts of life and that feeling of growing hot and then cold about a particular person or subject. Sometimes it feels like they are reading our mail, instead of we reading theirs. Screwtape as a character is almost likable… almost. He is intelligent, proper and intimate. But, with great skill, Lewis shows how those attributes are turned into evils as Screwtape reveals his calculating, conniving and treacherous nature. In short, he is prideful. Pride is the central message of The Screwtape Letters. And, here is where the book is most chilling. Whether it is appealing to the pride of the human “subject” through subtlety, as Screwtape recommends Wormwood to do, or as a commentary on one of the obvious characteristics of a devil, we can see ourselves. We are victim or victimizer. We cannot escape that we are either struggling to get away from evil or to get closer to it. There is no other way. - Joe Willey readthephillymanna.org | February 2014
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